


Thornless Roses and White Violets

by TinyDemonWriter



Series: Blooming Amnesty [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast), The Adventure Zone Amnesty
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, after i have written more and slept, i know you fuckers dont sleep either, if you have allergies you can't read this, in a cute way, stealing things but like, that should be a tag on this site, too many flower mentions, you'd sneeze from all the pollen in the air
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-02-10 10:20:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18658468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyDemonWriter/pseuds/TinyDemonWriter
Summary: Boyd didn't know what he was doing here. Between jobs, he had ducked into a tiny town in the middle of West Virginia. Now, finding himself working at aflowershopof all places, he finds it doesn't matter what he's doing. Not if there's a man like Edmund "Ned" Chicane around.





	1. Daffodils

**Author's Note:**

> With the permission of the brilliant [transagentstern](https://transagentstern.tumblr.com/) and their prompts, I have started this wonderful au! If you need anything tagged for any reason, please let me know!
> 
> This chapter's title means, in this context, new beginnings. It also means eternal life (dope), regard, chivalry, and unrequited love!

Ordinarily, Madeline “Mama” Cobb wouldn’t hire a man like Boyd Mosche. He passed the interview well enough, with his charm and wit, but his training days were less than ideal. A man like Boyd was not made for customer service. 

He could handle the register and cash just fine. He was neat and kept things orderly. No, the problem lay in dealing with actual customers.

Nevertheless, Mama found herself hiring him anyway. What choice did she have?

Dani and Aubrey were getting married soon and the planning was taking up all of their time. Dani may have been primarily a gardener, but when she chose to tend to the front, she excelled at it. Now, with the wedding in just one month, Dani was taking more and more time off, and she took Jake with her.

Jake was Mama’s best salesman, but also Dani’s best man. Add in that he was finishing up school, and he was out almost as often as Dani was. She was happy for them. Jake had started college late and was worried he wouldn’t be able to get his degree, and Dani and Aubrey had been headed towards a wedding for the past three years. Still, it didn’t lessen the fact that Mama’s business was hurting.

They were a small flower shop in a small town, but they were also the _only_ flower shop in a small town. She still had Barclay and Moira, but without half of her workforce, Mama’s ability to run the _Blooming Amnesty_ decreased dramatically.

Desperate to keep her business afloat for the upcoming month, Mama asked her staff what she should do. Barclay’s suggestion of putting up fliers was one she had been skeptical of, but Jake, Dani, and even Aubrey enthusiastically agreed. So, Mama had Dani design the fliers, and sent Jake and Aubrey out to put them up.

Imagine her surprise when in walked Boyd _fucking_ Mosche.

Boyd was new in town, but he seemed to just be passing through. Mama wasn’t expecting him to stay for even a week, nevermind the month she required. Still, it wasn’t like it was forever. How bad could it be? She set him up for an interview, then set him up to train with Moira up front.

One month. She just had to deal with him and his irrational distrust of all law enforcement for one month. His inability to deal with the, admittedly stupid, questions from customers for more than five minutes at a time. One month, and then she would have at least Jake back.

“Well then, sheriff,” a lilting british accent met her ears, bringing her back to the present. She groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Allow me to get the manager.”

Mama got up for the third time in as many days to deal with another unhappy customer. With a smile on her face, she went to face Sheriff Zeke and deal with whatever mess Boyd made this time.

“What appears to be the problem?” One more month, just one more month.


	2. Ferns and Carnations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters title represents fascination, although carnations can also represent a variety of things like divine love. Fern can also mean magic, confidence, and shelter, which can somewhat apply to this chapter.

It’s the evening of Boyd’s first official day, ten minutes before close. He’s sweeping up the back of the store, view of the door obstructed by shelves upon shelves of potted plants, when the door jingles. It had been a long day, and Boyd just wanted to get out. Once again, Boyd curses himself for choosing a _flowershop_ of all places to work at while he’s laying low.

Still, “Mama” Cobb is starting to get frustrated with his lack of patience, and, unfortunately, he really needs this job. Taking a deep breath, he smiles and moves out from behind the shelves to greet the customer.

Before he can get a word in, though, the customer shouts, “Moira, where are you? I fucked up!”

Clearing his throat, Boyd steps closer to the man, raising an eyebrow. “Moira isn’t in, I’m afraid, but I am more than able to help you. What did you need?”

The man looks him over, and Boyd takes this moment to do the same. He’s attractive in an unconventional way. Strong jawline and sturdy shoulders, a bit shorter than Boyd usually goes for. His middle isn’t well muscled, but it’s obvious there’s at least some strength there. He’s dressed almost as well as Boyd himself is.

All together, he looks interesting and the confusion on his face makes for an adorable picture.

“Um, who the hell are you?” Boyd raises the other eyebrow, taken aback.

Kepler is a small town and Boyd is a newcomer. He’s only been here a week and a half, but everywhere he goes, it seems people already know him. Such is the way of small town gossip. The fact that this man doesn’t know him means he either doesn’t get out much, or doesn’t care for gossip.

It’s… nice not being asked if he was the new guy and “what brings you to Kepler in the middle of spring?” He’s here to lay low and the only reason he hasn’t left yet is because he’s dangerously low on cash and, after his last heist went south, he couldn’t start a new grift just yet.

“Boyd Mosche,” he smiles. It’s not entirely the truth, but it’s who he is now and that’s all that really matters. “Who might you be?”

The man draws himself up and flashes a charming smile, strained though it is. “Edmund Chicane, but you can call me Ned.” There’s no visible sign that he’s lying, but Boyd still gets the impression that he is.

“No it’s not,” he replies smoothly, feeling the beginnings of a real smile tugging at his lips. The man, “Ned,” looks taken aback at his reply, but Boyd doesn’t give him a chance to respond.“Well, Ned, what can I do for you?”

Ned stares for a second, before he recovers. “I need to check to see if an order was placed. I was supposed to do it earlier, but I got side tracked. If Moira isn’t here, is Mama?”

“Unfortunately, you just missed her. Barclay is here, though. He’s the assistant manager. Would you like to talk to him instead?” Instead of nodding or saying yes like Boyd thought he would, Ned just groans. Dropping his face into his hands, he starts to mumble something unintelligible. “Is there an issue?” Boyd probes carefully.

With a sigh, Ned pulls his hands from his face, though his hands are still dropped. “Mama was the one to create the order for the Dani, and Dani needs me to check with Mama, specifically, since she’s the one who’ll know ‘bout all the specifics.”

Boyd frowns. He has heard of Dani, the gardener who’s busy travelling with her fiancée, and planning her wedding. He hasn’t heard of this order, though. Perhaps it’s just because he’s new?

“I can still go get Barclay,” he offers. “Perhaps he knows something?” Ned looks up again and simply nods. “Give me just a second to lock up, and I’ll grab him for you.”

After making sure the door is secure, Boyd turns around to see Ned standing in the middle of the store, eye’s roaming the place. If Boyd didn’t know any better, he would almost say that Ned was casing the place. _Interesting_ , Boyd thinks, but he dismisses the thought as quickly as it comes. That would be preposterous. He was probably just nervous over this order.

Shaking his head slightly to clear it, he brushes past Ned to get to the door leading to the Gardens. Biting his lip, he debates bringing this man with him. Technically, customers weren’t supposed to be in the Gardens, but Boyd wants to bring him anyway. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?

Mind made up, Boyd turns around and asks if Ned would like to go with him. The shocked look on the man’s face is almost comical, but he nods his head in agreement. So, with Ned in tow, Boyd makes his way down the hallway that opens up to the greenhouse that the Gardens are in.

Stepping into the Gardens, Boyd finds himself just as overwhelmed as the first time. Not because of the size or smell, although it does smell quite wonderful. Rather, the sight of dozens upon dozens of rows of flowers tugs at memories he has no desire to relive. Pushing them back, he leads Ned to the back where Barclay, assistant manager and second best gardener in the whole state (according to Mama and a plaque in her office, anyway), is tending to the plants.

Barclay turns around when he hears them approach and his eyes go wide when he spots them. “Ned Chicane, what are _you_ doing here?”

“Hey Barclay, uh, did Mama tell you about Dani’s flower order?” Ned asks instead of answering.

Barclay looks at him for a second, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean Dani’s flower order? I thought she was ordering from Vincent since he has white lotuses?” They both look at each other in confusion.

“No,” Ned starts slowly, “She decided the discount she gets from here would be better than the prices Vincent would have to charge for the shipment. At least, that’s what she told me.”

For a moment, everything is silent. Boyd can see the moment they realize that something has gone terribly wrong. Their eyes go wide with panic and Barclay actually drops the pruning shears he had been using on the rose bush behind him. They clatter to the floor, the sound echoing over top of Ned’s strangled gasp.

“Fuck, shit, this is so not good. We are so boned,” Ned mutters, breath coming in a little shallower as his whole body tenses. Barclay just nods at him mutely, jaw snapping shut as he starts to recover from the shock.

“What are we gonna do, Barclay? This wedding is in three weeks and I have no idea how we’re going to tell Dani we don’t have flowers for her! Oh shit, where’s Mama? She might have an idea.”

Now, ordinarily, Boyd wouldn’t say anything. This isn’t his problem, and he doesn’t know or care about these people or their opinions. Something tells him to speak up, though. To help. Maybe it’s this place bringing memories of happier times to the surface, or maybe it’s the interest Boyd can’t help but feel for this attractive man in front of him. Whatever it is, it causes him to open his mouth and blurt out, “What’s the color scheme for the wedding?”

Both men in front of him snap their gazes towards his, eyes still wide with panic. “Why do you want to know?” Barclay asks, hesitant, even through his panic, which, _rude_. Maybe Boyd hasn’t been on his best behavior lately, but it’s not like he’s mean. Who cares that he ordinarily wouldn’t help, he’s still slightly offended.

Rather than voicing these thoughts, Boyd just smiles and says, “humor me.”

Ned and Barclay’s eye’s meet once more. Ned just shrugs lightly, and Barclay lets out a sigh. “White, orange, and red,” he answers.

Boyd turns that over in his mind, before letting the memories in for just a moment. He remembers his mother, hand in his hair laughing as he pestered her with questions. But that’s not important, the details aren’t important. What’s important is the information held within these memories.

“Do we have white calla lilies, orange lilies, and red chrysanthemums?” He asks Barclay, the voice of his mother whispering in his ear. Barclay thinks for a moment before nodding an affirmative.

“We’ll have to ask Vincent for the calla lilies, but they should be easy enough to get. Why?”

“I have a couple ideas, but I’m going to need some more information before I have anything concrete. Ned, do you think you could come again tomorrow?”

Ned looks surprised to be addressed again, but he replies,“It’ll have to be while I’m on lunch break. Kirby should be good to watch the museum in the meantime. But I don’t get what makes you qualified to do this.” Ned narrows his eyes in suspicion. And here Boyd was thinking he had cornered the market on paranoia.

“Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.” Boyd was unimpressed. He was more than capable of taking care of himself, and it seems they were in need of all the help they could get.

“Just because you say you know what you’re talking about, doesn’t mean you actually do.” Now Ned’s raising an eyebrow at him. He looks a little ridiculous, actually. 

“I used to work at a flower shop.” Not technically a lie, but not necessarily true either. A gray area. Boyd waits a moment to see if Ned is going to say anything more, but it seems Ned has run out of arguments.

“If you come in at around noon tomorrow, Mama should be in and we can talk to her about ideas.”

Barclay looks between them before asking, “What are we going to tell Dani?” All three of them rack their brains, trying to figure out how to tell the bride that her flowers for her wedding weren’t ordered.

“We could just not tell her?” Ned says, sounding dubious. “I mean, to my knowledge, Dani didn’t say anything about specific flowers or designs. She just trusted Mama to make them…” He trails off uncertainly, shifting from side to side.

“Well, I need to know a lot of things for a wedding. The amount of bouquets to prepare, is there a flower girl, how many centerpieces with flowers will there be? There’s a lot that goes into planning a wedding.”

“You sure seem to know a lot about this, even for a flower shop employee,” Barclay comments, looking slightly skeptical.

“My mum was a wedding planner,” Boyd manages to push out past the lump in his throat, though his tone doesn’t betray the struggle. He hasn’t thought of home in so long, much less spoken of it.

Barclay still looks slightly skeptical, which, again _rude_. Liar though he may be, Boyd did know how to tell the truth. He doesn’t continue pushing, however, just glances at Ned. “Do you think not telling her is really the right thing to do?”

“Think about it Barclay. Dani is already stressed about the wedding and dealing with her family. Adding this on top of it would break her. Don’t you think we should avoid it if we can?”

Barclay seems to think of it for a moment, before looking resigned. “Does Mama even have all the information needed for all this?”

“Only one way to find out. If she doesn’t know, we can figure out what to tell Dani, but otherwise,” Ned trails off again, looking hopeful. “Come on Barclay, this doesn’t have to be a big deal.”

“It’s still lying.” But his protest is token at best, and from the look on Ned’s face, he knows it.

“Only by omission, dear Barclay. It’s settled then. We’ll talk to Mama tomorrow about planning the order and getting it done in these next three weeks. How hard can it be?” Ned grins, and a small part of Boyd thinks _oh no_ before he pushes it back down.

“How hard can it be, indeed?” Boyd returns, grin present and more real than he wants to admit, even to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This one's a little longer than the previous one, and they're probably only going to get longer. Man, this one came out quick tho, didn't it? Anyway, comments and kudos make me feel warm and fuzzy and you can check out my tumblr [here](https://tinydemondragon.tumblr.com/) for updates and such! And also any other projects I may start (looking at you, zombie apocalypse au)
> 
> Other flowers mentioned: Calla lilies for magnificence and beauty, white one's also mean innocence and purity. Orange lilies represent passion. Red Chrysanthemums are for love, fidelity, optimism, joy and long life. I felt it was fitting for a wedding.
> 
> Next chapter: Amaryllis and Pink Hyacinths, can you guess what I want them to represent?


	3. Amaryllis and Pink Hyacinths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amaryllis is for pride, pink hyacinths for playfulness and rashness. Amaryllis' can also mean worth beyond beauty, and hyacinths are the flower of Apollo and sporty games.
> 
> If you spot any typos or grammatical inconsistencies, feel free to let me know!

It’s around noon the next day, Moira getting ready to leave, when Ned walks in. Boyd is busy helping Pigeon pick out flowers for her girlfriend, Vicky. Evidently it’s their two year anniversary and she wants to surprise her at the office.

Boyd thinks this is cute and all, but he’s learning more about Vicky and Pigeon’s relationship than he cares to know. No, he does not care to know that they evidently met at a waterpark that was “named Wet ‘n’ Wild, what a shame that it’s closed down don’t cha think?” Pigeon wanted to take Vicky back there but couldn’t and they had their first kiss there, it would have been so poetic.

So, it’s a relief to see Ned walk through the door. It gives him an excuse to not so subtly hurry Pigeon out the door.

Pigeon notices Ned as well and turns to him, a large grin on her face. “Heya Ned! How ya doin’?”

“Why I’m doing quite well, if I do say so myself. How are you and the lucky lady?” Her smile grows ever wider and she begins to tell him about her plans for that night, and Boyd just studies Ned, tuning her out.

He looks even nicer than he did yesterday, blue scarf changing his eyes from green to turquoise. He looks comfortable and happy, arms moving in sweeping gestures as he talks. It’s charming, and a little dangerous, if the way Pigeon has to dodge one of his hands means anything.

Eventually Pigeon bids Ned goodbye, telling him to, “say hi to Duck for me, would ya?” _What is up with the bird names in this town?_ Boyd wonders idley.

“Hello again, Ned,” he greets, shrugging that thought off.

“Boyd! How are you on this splendid afternoon!” Having the full force of that grin aimed at him is twisting up his insides and, no. No, no, no. He is _not_ doing this. This man may be attractive enough for a one night stand, but nothing more. He is _not_ doing the feelings thing. It’s only been a day, for God’s sake.

He swallows his impending panic, and resolves to stay as uninvolved with this man as much as possible. He doesn’t know Ned, and the life of a con man does not make room for romance with an outsider.  
“I’m doing rather well, thank you.” He turns to see Moira just about ready to leave. “Moira! Don’t suppose you could stay a little longer? I have to take this one to Mama for a meeting, it shouldn’t take too long.” 

Moira looks at the two of them before shrugging. “As long as it’s quick. I heard that Heathcliff may be coming into town this afternoon and I’d like to be as far away as possible when that happens.”

With a nod, Boyd guides Ned to Mama’s office. Barclay and Mama are already there, Mama looking confused to see all of them gathered there. “Moira is watching the front right now, we just need to talk to you for a second.” Boyd smiles, hoping to assuage her fears, but it doesn’t seem to work.

“Ned, what are you doing here? What’s wrong? Are Aubrey and them all right?” Mama asks, looking worried.

“They’re all right Mama, we just… Have a bit of a situation is all. Nothing too bad!” he says hurriedly. “Just… something we need a bit of _help_ with.”

Barclay takes over for him and quickly explains the situation. He finishes with, “Boyd says he has experience with these things, and that he’d be willing to help.” Mama looks surprised at that before she turns to Boyd.

“Really?” she asks, tone incredulous. Boyd just shrugs noncommittally. Honestly, he doesn’t really know why he’s doing this anyway. He’s just been rolling with it since the day Mama said, “you’re hired.”

Mama stares at him for a second before she sighs and says, “It doesn’t really matter. I can’t do anything anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Ned demands. “This is Aubrey and Dani’s wedding we’re talking about! The Danbrey wedding!”

“Danbrey?” Mama questions. Ned just waves it off as unimportant, though Boyd would also like an answer. “Look,” she continues, “I promised Thatcher I would help him set up his own shop down in North Carolina. I’m gonna be outta town up until the wedding. I called Barclay in here to ask him to watch over the shop while I’m gone.”

Everyone falls silent as that sinks in, and the mood plummets. Even Boyd feels a little pang of regret, and he doesn’t even _know_ these people. That feeling inspires him to say, “well, maybe there is something we can do.”

Ned, Barclay, and Mama all snap their heads to him. It’s a little eerie actually. “What do you mean?” Mama asks cautiously. Like she wants to hope, but can’t bring herself to.

“Well,” Boyd starts, “I’m more than capable of designing the bouquets and centerpieces, along with anything else we’ll need. It shouldn’t be too difficult. I was thinking it over yesterday as I was going to sleep and made this.” He grabs his phone from his pocket. It may not be able to call anyone in this area, but the camera is alright. He shows her a picture of the sketch he’d taken, in case he had needed to prove his skills.

Mama looks up at him, contemplative. “I still don’t know if this is a good idea. Shouldn’t we at least tell Dani about the mix up? What if we can’t do this?”

Ned breaks in before Boyd can say anything, “Have you seen Dani lately?” he asks, tone more serious than Boyd’s heard before. Mama shakes her head. “She’s stressed out right now. Her family is being stubborn about the wedding. They’re upset with her right now, saying that it’s happening too soon and that she should wait.” Mama snorts.

“I’ve seen this wedding happening since the day Aubrey walked in and Dani suddenly wanted to work the register every day.”

Ned smiles, “I know. Those two are made for each other, they just work. Her family though…” He trails off with a shrug. “Look, the point is that the two of them are stressed enough as is. If we can keep from adding onto that, don’t you think that’ll be better than piling all this shit on?”

Mama bites her lip, eyebrows furrowed in consternation. “Look,” she starts slowly, “I ain’t sayin I wanna stress the girls out, you know I don’t want that. They’re like my kids. I just don’t want this to blow up in our faces.”

Barclay sighs and says, “I get how you feel, Mama, but I saw Dani before she went to her parents with Aubrey. Not even working in the Gardens could calm her down. She was starting to get snappy with everyone. I don’t want to stress her even more. Aubrey, too. I don’t want to tell them bad news if we can avoid it.”

Mama looks contemplative for a minute before she sighs. “I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I could be convinced.” She turns to Boyd. “Your design looks really good, but it takes more than that for this. What else you got?”

Boyd describes a few more ideas as Mama pays rapt attention to him. Every now and then, Barclay tells him that they don’t have something, or that they could get something, but it would cost a lot.

Mama nods to herself, it seems she’s made up her mind. “Very well then.” Ned lets out a little cheer and Barclay grins. “On one condition. Boyd, I have your email already, but I’ll give you mine as well. I wanna be kept updated while I’m in North Carolina.” Boyd nods.

“Alright, here’s the information I have from Dani. They want to have the ceremony at the lodge in the woods, and the reception in a clearing nearby.” She goes on, talking about arrangements, guests, who needs corsages, and what bouquets are going to be needed.

“Now, that’s not everything, so we gotta get the rest of the information without tippin’ the girls off. Think you can do that, Ned?” Mama asks, turning towards him.

“Haven’t you heard? I’m Ned “Subtle” Chicane. I’ll get the information required from Aubrey no problem.”

“Think you can get it by tomorrow afternoon?” Boyd questions. Ned nods an affirmative. “Good. Meet me tomorrow and I should have the designs finished by the start of next week.” Mama raises her eyebrows in surprise.

“That’s really quick, you sure you can pull that off?” Boyd snorts.

“I’ve seen more impressive rush orders.” His mom, snapping at him to get out of her office, can’t you see she’s busy? A hand running through his hair, leaving unspoken apologies in the kisses she presses to his forehead. “I’ll get it done, I’ll make sure of it.”

With a plan in mind, Ned and Boyd exit the office, Barclay lingering to talk about Mama’s upcoming trip. They walk in silence, and Boyd finds himself hesitating. He’s warring with himself, what he wants as opposed to what he knows is best for him.

Ned’s at the door, and Boyd decides _fuck it_. 

“It would be easier to talk over coffee, don’t you think?” Ned freezes, hand hovering above the handle and Boyd winces internally, backtracking rapidly. “That way we wouldn’t have to deal with customers.”

Ned’s shoulders relax, and Boyd’s do the same. _No time for relationships_ , he reminds himself forcefully.

“Alright,” Ned says, turning around. “Sounds like a plan, Boyd. Does the cafe across the street at one tomorrow work?” Boyd nods, and Ned smiles. “Until then?”

“Until then,” Boyd echos before moving back to the counter. Moira is staring at him, a smile sliding onto her face.

“You know, that wasn’t half bad,” she says, grabbing her bag from behind the counter. Boyd just stares at her uncomprehendingly. She shakes her head, “I’ll cover your lunch date tomorrow, you’re welcome in advance.” Then she leaves.

Boyd has half a mind to say it’s not a date, then he remembers he’s in his forties and he is not going to argue like a child over this. He knows it’s not a date, that’s all that matters. Still, he looks forward to tomorrow.

That feeling of anticipation carries him through the rest of his day, until it’s just about time for him to leave the next day. When it’s finally 12:55, he grabs his messenger bag with his notes, and his wallet, shoving it in the light jacket he’s wearing, and heads out.

“Have fun on your date!” Moira calls out, but he’s already out the door. When he crosses the street and steps into the shop, he sees that Ned is already sitting down, mug in front of him. Boyd gives the other man a little wave before going to the counter and ordering a mug of Earl Gray tea, no cream or sugar.

“Whatcha got there?” Ned questions when he sits down. When Boyd tells him, he laughs. Boyd raises an eyebrow, smile playing on the edge of his lips.

“Let me guess, you’ve got disgusting sludge in your cup,” he takes a sip of his own drink, and looks pointedly at Ned’s.

Ned gasps dramatically. “Listen, just because you can’t your caffeine like a man, doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t.” Boyd glances at the cup and notices that it’s a light brown and gives Ned an unimpressed look. Ned just huffs again.

“So, I sent Aubrey an email last night,” Ned starts. Then, Boyd and Ned talk about logistics, Ned providing the information Boyd was missing. Before long, Boyd has everything he needs to start designing all the bouquets jotted down in his notes.

Boyd goes to take another sip of his tea and notices that it’s gone cold. A glance at the clock shows that he has five minutes before he has to get to work. His eyes go wide as he realizes how quickly the past hour has gone.

“This has been lovely, but I’m afraid I must be getting back to work.” Ned looks at the clock then and curses.

“I must be going as well. Allow me to walk with you, Boyd.”

As they exit the shop, Ned trips over his own feet. “Woah there, careful,” Boyd cautions as he steadies him. He’s suddenly struck with an idea. Being as subtle as possible, he slips his hand into Ned’s pocket. “It would be a shame if you fell on your face. It’s your only redeeming feature.”

He laughs as Ned blusters in protest, taking a step back and bringing his hands held up after slipping Ned’s wallet into a pocket in his messenger bag. “I assure you, my face isn’t my _only_ redeeming feature.” Ned says, innuendo in his tone.

“Oh?” Boyd questions, looking Ned up and down. “Hm, I can’t really tell,” he drawls. “Until next time.” Turning on his heel, he walks across the street back to work, hands held lazily at his side.

Once he’s settled back in, and there’s no one around, he brings Ned’s wallet back out. That’s when he realizes he can no longer feel his own. Reaching into the pockets of his coat, he comes up empty.

“Oh,” he murmurs to himself, beginning to grin, “perhaps his face really _isn’t_ the best part about him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thank you goes to Keplersheetz for the picture above! They drew it for last chapter and it was so much better than I had imagined that I just _had_ to use it! You can check them out [here](https://keplersheetz.tumblr.com/), and the post out [here](https://tinydemondragon.tumblr.com/post/184589850626/uh-you-said-white-calla-lilies-orange-lilies-and)!
> 
> In addition, a big thank you goes to Josh for letting me scream at them at ungodly hours and for reading this and making sure it actually makes sense, despite not even being in this fandom. You're great and I love you <3
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are the only foods that make me feel full! Make sure I don't starve plz! You can follow me [here](https://tinydemondragon.tumblr.com/) for more updates on trwv and other projects that I'm doing!
> 
> Up next Begonias and Lavender Heather


	4. Begonias and Lavender Heather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter this time means caution and admiration!

After spending all weekend working on various designs for various centerpieces and bouquets and so much more, Boyd is exhausted walking into work Monday. He’s also not in the mood to deal with anyone’s shit.

So of course, _of course_ that’s the day that Moira is sick. Of course that’s the day when Barclay has to go out and do… something with someone else in another city. A supplier, Boyd thinks? But he’s not quite sure.

“‘It’ll be fine,’ he says,” Boyd mutters under his breath, viciously wiping down the counter. “‘We don’t really get too busy on Monday’s anyway.’ he says.” He picks up the wash cloth and throws it back on the counter. It doesn’t do anything but it does make him feel a little bit better.

First it was the little old lady down the street who wanted to visit her husband’s grave. Which. Fair enough. He wasn’t gonna begrudge her that.

Then it was Vicky, Pigeon’s girlfriend, walks in to get “thank you” flowers. Again, fair enough. He thinks it would be nice to receive flowers from a lover, if he had one.

But then. _But then_ it’s a group of young adults, who look more like wanna be gang members, getting flowers for their leader or… something. “Get well” flowers. And then it’s a group of kids who look like they really should be in class and really shouldn’t have as much money to spend as they do. Then it’s this really prissy couple asking for a bouquet made entirely of flowers they _don’t have in stock_ and they won’t take no for an answer and the gang people are still loitering around the front and then they accidentally knock over a display and-

And it was way too much for a Monday morning. It’s not even noon yet and Boyd wants to throttle someone.

Winfuck and his stuck up partner are gone, the gang people apologized and got their flowers and left, and the kids at least left some cash in the tip jar. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still seething a bit.

So, he’s still in a bad mood when the bell above the door chimes and he can tell from the gait that it isn’t Barclay who said he would be here 30 minutes ago.

He sighs and curses under his breath before lifting his head up and trying to force his face into something resembling friendliness.

He finds a smile forming on his face, however, when he sees the customer in question is Ned, though. He puts both elbows on the counter, resting his face in his hands as he asks, “How can I help you?”

He’s been wondering when, exactly, this was going to happen. He had entertained the thought of going to the Cryptonomica, on the few breaks he took over the weekend, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

Besides, his wallet doesn’t have anything too important in it, he learned the hard way that he wasn’t the only pickpocket in the cities.

Ned just stares at him. “I believe you have something of mine?” He asks, eyebrow raised.

Boyd smirks and lifts his head. “Do I now?” He braces himself on the counter, leaning forward a bit. “You sure about that?”

Ned just gives him a deadpan stare and drops Boyd’s wallet on the counter. “Have your wallet back, _Bob_. Now I’d like mine.” Boyd freezes. Right, he had put a false ID in there back when he was in the city, just in case something like this had happened.

Boyd straightened his back, reaching underneath the counter to grab Ned’s wallet. Today really was just going to be a shit show, huh? He hands Ned his wallet back, and then they’re just standing there in silence.

Ned sighs a bit and scratches the back of his head. “It’d be a bit hypocritical of me to hold this against you, all things considered.” 

“Oh?” Boyd replies, shoulders relaxing. He doesn’t even know why he was so tense in the first place. After all, Ned obviously had some experience in the business.

“Yeah, used to be pretty wild back in my day, when I was about your age.” Ned flashes a grin at him and Boyd relaxes completely.

“Come on now, you can’t be that much older than me,” Boyd says, making sure to very obviously check him out. “Don’t look a day over 35.”

“You flatter me. Surely you know how old I am. I looked at yours, don’t tell me you didn’t look at mine?” Boyd grinned.

“Oh I looked all right, but I think I may need another glance.” Ned laughed, and any remaining tension dissipated.

“Perhaps another time. I, rather unfortunately, must go back to the Cryptonomica. Kirby complained the last time I left for so long. Until next time.”

“Until next time,” Boyd echoed. And if his day was made better just because of this one conversation, well. That was no one’s business but his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. This chapter was hard and ended up being really short. I'm super sorry, I just know what the next scene for the chapter is, and this one is mainly just filler.
> 
> I don't have a chapter title picked out for next time yet, oops?
> 
> Anyway! If you enjoyed this, feel free to follow me [here](https://tinydemondragon.tumblr.com/) on tumblr for updates and a general idea on when I'll be posting next!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys have enjoyed this so far! Sorry this is so short, but it's just a little prologue of sorts to set up the main story. Feel free to follow me on [tumblr](https://tinydemondragon.tumblr.com/%22) to see when I'm going to update this! I have no set schedule in mind currently, but when I do, I'll let you know there.
> 
> Next chapter's title will be "Ferns and Carnations." Can you guess what meanings I'll use?
> 
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!


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